Jess- Konnichiwa from Shibuya

Konnichiwa from Shibuya!

Hi! This is Jess Robinson, the new LEX Intern, reporting from Shibuya, Tokyo! I arrived about a week ago but I feel like I've been here much longer. I'm currently living with the Satohfamily in Nerima ku, which is in the north eastern side of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Since it is primarily a residential area (and far from the center of Tokyo) the houses are a little more spread out and the area is fairly green. On my morning commute, I walk past a couple of fields and enjoy passing by the wide variety of trees, including pomegranate trees. My host parents are very kind people and already we share so many great laughs and interesting conversations.

I started working in the Hippo Family Club Headquarters in Shibuya this week. On Monday I made my first journey from my home to Shibuya which includes changing trains in Ikebukuroand walking through Shibuya train station. Both of these stations are famous for being especially busy. The morning commute,while overwhelming, is incredibly fun for me since I enjoy people watching. The LEX staff are so much fun to work with. They are very kind to me and have made me feel right at home here at the office. I feel so lucky to be able to work with such amazing people.

I'm still in the process of settling in and getting used to my routine but I am having a really great time.

Today I will start my Tokyo Museum tour for my cultural project. I will be visiting the art museums and galleries all around Tokyo to get a better understanding of Japanese Art History and Contemporary Art in an attempt to compare it with Western Art. I bought a museum ticket book for the low low price of 2,000￥(around 20USD) which gives me free entrance or discounted fare on a zillion different museums including science, general history museums and zoos/aquariums. Today I'll start with the most famous art museum, the MoriArt Museum in Roppongi Hills. I'm so excited!!!

That's it for now!

Ja ne!!

-Jess Robinson
aka: Kinoko-chan :)

Comments

Maddie- The First of Many New Experiences

The First of Many New Experiences So, what have my first weeks been like in Japan? ABSOLUTELY BUSY! But, also...AMAZING! Truly, it has been a busy couple of weeks here, but not overwhelmingly so. Furthermore, I`d prefer to be kept busy! Too much free time = too much thinking = homesickness. By keeping a full, fun schedule, with some relaxing and downtime, I can keep engaged with my surroundings, make new friends, and stay sane. To prevent a wall of text, let me break down for you some of my recent activities. So far, I have: Presented about my life in Wisconsin to classes of middle school and elementary school students. Eaten kaiten-zushi, or conveyor belt sushi. Been interviewed about my biggest surprise when I came to Japan (it`s bluntness in regards to appearance, people won`t hesitate to call someone fat, or tell you that you`ve gotten skinny since they last saw you. As I`ve seen it, it`s never been malicious, just matter-of-fact). Post filming. To my ...

Daniel- I have Guests!

I Have Guests! [訪れていた] (Daniel) After a trip to the Middle East, my sister and her husband decided to return to the US flying over Asia instead of Europe, so that they could stop by in Japan and say "Hi". Y-A-A-A-A-Y. It felt really good to see some family after seven months away. Unfortunately, the two of them could only stay for 3 days, so we were quite busy during that time. The three of us visited obvious famous places like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, and Akihabara. But I personally enjoyed going to a park where we did the tea ceremony in a tea house on the park's pond. The two of them found it strange that there were no chairs and the process to drink some tea was so formal. I guess I didn't really think about it, I have become so used to traditional tea ceremonies that they don't seem strange to me anymore. I guess I'm becoming a local I also really enjoyed introducing my sister and brother-in-law to my co-work...

Daniel- Okutama

Okutama　(Daniel) This past week, my eyes were opened to the fact that Japan is much more than a concrete jungle of lights and high-rise buildings. For the first time, I was able to head west to Okutama, a mountainous region on the west side of Tokyo Prefecture. Unlike the city, Okutma is covered with forest and greenery. The abundance of nature makes it a beautiful place to visit in the fall. Not too far from Okutama is Heirinji Zen Temple in Saitama, where I was blown away by the beauty of autumn in Japan. The purpose for my being in that area was to visit a kindergarten and to give a HIPPO presentation along with other HIPPO members. Among them was a younger gentleman nicknamed Tango, whom I hadn't met before. Tango and I got along very well, and he invited me on a hike, along with his friend, the next day. Tango's family owns a very quaint Soba restaurant in Okutama. The surrounding mountains and nature really give it a traditional Japanese feel. The three of u...

Search This Blog